The Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, has hailed the R15
billion Westown Development, situated between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, as a
prime example of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors
collaborate to unlock local investment, drive economic growth, and create employment
opportunities. Visiting the mixed-use development on Monday afternoon with
KwaZulu-Natal Public Works & Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer and eThekwini
Deputy Mayor, Zandile Myeni, Minister Macpherson noted that this development is
Durban’s largest since the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The development is registered as
a Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) under the Infrastructure Development Act.
When I was appointed as Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure in July last year, I
said that my goal over the next five years will be to turn South Africa into a construction
site. But, this goal can only be realised if we work with the private sector to unlock
further investment as we have seen with the Westown development. The R15 billion
Development is a prime example of how this can be achieved, said Mcpherson.
The Westown development triggered much-needed investment in bulk infrastructure
for the region such as roads, water and sanitation by the City of eThekwini. This in
turn attracted billions of rands in private sector investment which has led to 1000
construction jobs being created over the past 18 months. It is anticipated that another
8,500 permanent jobs will be created when the full development is completed,
significantly improving the lives of many households in Durban’s Outer West.
Minister Macpherson applauded the ongoing collaboration between Westown
developers, Fundamentum, and the City of eThekwini, which facilitated the successful
launch of the development by removing bureaucratic hurdles. To date, the city has
spent R594 million on bulk infrastructure to support the project.
The collaborative work between Fundamentum and the City of eThekwini
underscores the importance of public-private partnerships in unlocking infrastructure
investment. The public sector alone cannot finance or construct large-scale
infrastructure projects. This is why agencies such as Infrastructure South Africa (ISA),
under the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure, are critical to driving
infrastructure investment nationwide. We will be working with Infrastructure SA to
unlock further funding for the project in the months ahead, and I look forward to ISA
unlock other projects like Westown, which will stimulate economic growth and create
much-needed jobs, thereby improving the lives of our people.